A Scottish Adventure: Salmon Fishing and Speyside Whisky with Returning Clients

Welcome Back to the Heartland of Moray

It is always heartening to see and welcome regular clients back into the heartland of Moray, known as the County of Malt Whisky and Fishing for Atlantic Salmon on Speyside! Darren Driscoll and his Dad Jim had expressed a desire to return as relative beginners to salmon fly fishing and Spey casting, having only had a couple of instructional start-up days with me on the River Findhorn in 2024.

However, Jim had also made a special request to be able to fish on the River Spey this time and to be in waders for his 80th birthday. I therefore managed to secure them both a couple of days on a private beat on the upper River Spey for two days, for the Thursday and Saturday, during the last week of May.

Challenging Fishing Conditions

The Dry Spell Challenge

Conditions for salmon fishing were not ideal as the whole of North East Scotland had experienced a long dry spell throughout May, meaning that river levels had fallen away dramatically and overhead conditions had been wall to wall sunshine from day to day! Therefore all of the Scottish salmon rivers had been struggling with lack of water and lack of fresh Spring Atlantic salmon running into the rivers. We needed rain!

The challenging conditions reminded us all that salmon fishing is as much about patience and persistence as it is about skill and technique. Despite the less-than-ideal circumstances, the anticipation and excitement of being back on Scottish waters remained high.

A Speyside Whisky Adventure

The Perfect Rest Day Activity

As many other salmon fishers who travel to Scotland, Jim and Darren have one other common interest: Speyside Malt Whisky! So, they had asked me to arrange a tour of various Speyside distilleries as a rest day from fishing on the river. This is part of the guided experiences I offer to complement the fishing instruction. Therefore I collected them from their lodgings in Grantown on Spey on the Friday morning and off we headed into the very heart of Speyside.

Journey Through Salmon Country

We travelled along by the River Spey going past all of those famous mouth-watering and well-known salmon fishing beats, of Castle Grant, Tulchan, Ballindalloch, and then onto Knockando for our first whisky tasting stop at the Cardhu distillery, which is the home of the world renowned Johnnie Walker whisky!

The Distillery Trail

Cardhu Distillery – Our First Stop

After several libations and one or two bottles taken on board, we were soon heading off down river and over the River Spey at Craigellachie towards Dufftown, home of Glenfiddich and the Balvenie.

Exploring Dufftown and Beyond

We then headed eastwards towards Huntly and over the River Deveron, towards The Glendronach distillery for another pit stop. Yet again more quaffing and several more bottles loaded into the back of the Discovery we were back on the road towards Keith and dropped into the Glen Isla distillery, for another wee look!

The Final Stops

Time was ticking on and so we headed back towards Aberlour and took another pit stop at the Aberlour distillery. Finally our last leg of the tour took us up to the back of Aberlour and out to the wonderful Glen Allachie distillery for the last tastings of the day!

A Perfect Day Out

All in all it had been an outstanding success and Jim and Darren had enjoyed the best of their tour, without having to worry about getting behind the steering wheel all day! Surely it doesn’t get any better! We then headed off back towards Grantown on Spey, working our way all along the North side of the River Spey, along a tiny single track road hugging close by the river bank all the way, with spectacular views of the River Spey and finally up to Grantown on Spey.

I was able to deliver them back to their lodgings at Brooklyn Guest House in Grantown (https://www.brooklynn.co.uk) who offer comfortable accommodation for salmon fishers and would-be whisky lovers alike!

Jim’s 80th Birthday Fishing Adventure

A Special Day on the Water

Then the final day on the Saturday, Jim got his wish and was indeed tackled and wadered up for his 80th Birthday celebrations. There’s something truly special about celebrating such a milestone birthday while pursuing the king of fish on one of Scotland’s most famous salmon rivers.

The Teasing Salmon

Unfortunately, once again fishing conditions were not in their favour, but despite seeing many leaping (teasing) salmon in the pools, the king of fish had other ideas and they were not in the mood for taking a fly, even in honour of Jim’s Big day!

The sight of salmon jumping and showing themselves in the pools was both encouraging and frustrating – a reminder that these magnificent fish are wild creatures that cannot be commanded or controlled, only respected and pursued with patience and skill.

Reflections on a Scottish Adventure

That’s Fishing!

That’s why they call it fishing and not catching fish! This age-old saying perfectly encapsulates the experience that Jim and Darren had during their return visit to Scotland. While the salmon may not have cooperated on this particular trip, the memories created, the skills practiced, and the bonds strengthened over shared experiences on the water and at the distilleries will last a lifetime.

The True Value of the Experience

The combination of salmon fishing instruction, breathtaking Scottish scenery, world-class whisky tasting, and the celebration of Jim’s 80th birthday created an adventure that went far beyond simply catching fish. It’s these complete experiences that make Scotland such a special destination for anglers and whisky enthusiasts alike.

Whether you’re a beginner looking to learn the art of Spey casting or an experienced angler seeking new waters to explore, the rivers of Speyside offer challenges and rewards that extend far beyond the fishing itself. Add in the world’s finest single malt whiskies and the warm hospitality of the Scottish Highlands, and you have the recipe for truly unforgettable adventures.